It’s mid-July and the summer wildflowers are putting on the type of show you dream about in the dead of winter. Treat yourself this weekend and come get inspired by what nature has to offer!  

Holden Arboretum

This week, you will not want to skip the Myrtle S. Holden Wildflower Garden. The south entrance is flanked by the Pennington Beds which are packed with a variety of showy native wildflowers that are excellent for home landscapes. These beds are at their peak right now and bursting with purple coneflower, Culver’s root, blazing star, oxeye sunflower, and so much more. On my visit, I was lucky enough to see three hummingbirds sipping nectar from the neon red flowers of royal catchfly. 

After soaking up the Pennington beds, keep walking into the Wildflower Garden and you will encounter several more interesting summer flowers including tall larkspur (Delphinium exaltatum) in the limestone rockery and shrubby St. John’s wort (Hypericum prolificum) near the small pond. 

If you choose to enter the Wildflower Garden from the east entrance, you will encounter the large scarlet flowers of the massive trumpetvine (Campsis radicans) covering the arbor over the path. This vine is over 30 years old! 

Cleveland Botanical Garden

One of my personal favorite plants at the gardens has come into bloom this week: the Silphium perfoliatum, or cup plant, in the Hershey Children’s Garden. This towering aster was cleverly planted in groupings that create a hidden path for little ones to explore. The common name “cup plant” comes from its perfoliate leaves that form little cups that collect small puddles of water.  

The Children’s Garden is full of giant plants to discover, including Joe-pye weed (Eutrochium fistulosum). These summer giants are just starting to come into bloom and are a favorite nectar source of butterflies. In addition to the giants in the Children’s Garden, look for a bushy, mini selection of coastal plain Joe-pye weed, Eutrochium dubium ‘Baby Joe’, in the Butterfly Garden.  

Finally, in the Restorative Garden and Butterfly Garden, look out for summersweet (Clethra alnifolia ‘Ruby Spice’). Aptly named, this summer-blooming shrub has incredibly fragrant flowers that are the olfactory highlight of the garden this week. 

The forecast calls for beautiful weather this weekend—stop by either of our campuses to experience the peak season of summer wildflowers. Stay tuned next week to see what new plants there are to discover!